


apropos

by sora_san89



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Toradora-inspired Fic, characters might be OOC (i'm sorry), more characters appear later, too many needless italics, too many swearing courtesy of the ahobaka pair
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-17
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2018-05-07 02:05:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5439416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sora_san89/pseuds/sora_san89
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kagami Taiga's high school life has been anything but smooth-sailing-- he is a stranger in his homeland, his brother downright hated him, and almost anyone chancing upon his face ends up shuddering in fear. He's used to it though; he's made a few friends, has found someone he likes, and had decided to live the rest of his high school days in peace and quiet.</p>
<p>However, it seems fate decided to screw it all up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>(Aka: a Toradora-inspired AU that nobody asked for)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One: Enter the Tiger

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaaannnd, here we are. I shouldn't be doing this but... ideas beckon! I am new here and this is my first KnB fanfic! This fic is AoKaga (hooray) because I love this ship so much I wanted to try writing something. Also, it is going to be slooooow and kinda (or very) cliché-y, so please bear with me! Without further ado, please enjoy.
> 
> I don't own KnB! Apologies for any OOC-ness, grammar errors (me no native English speaker) and spelling mistakes (me have no beta).

\- - -

I.

_Enter the Tiger_

_\- - -_

It was the first day of a brand new school year. The morning sky was clear and bright, but not overly searing. The air blew gently, crisp and refreshing. The chirping of the birds blended harmoniously with the pleasant chatter of the students as they made their way towards the gates of their respective schools. Everything was rose colored and really, really nice.

All in all, it was a perfect day...

...for most people at least.

But most people were not tall, redheaded, and quite menacing. No, most people were not like one Kagami Taiga at all.

Baring himself in all his 190 cm tall glory, with flaming dark crimson hair and eyes as intense as those of a wild tiger's, the seventeen year old teenager was easily ruining the picturesque first-day moment just by standing. Heck, maybe even simply breathing the air gave the same effect.

It wasn't like it mattered to him anyways. He was not the sort of person who cared about how people saw or thought of him. The stares were getting annoying, though. Plus the whispers he overheard whenever he passed by, saying things like _'that guy's scary!'_ or _'I heard that guy's beat up a lot of people!'_ were completely ridiculous... especially the 'they say if you looked at his eyes, he'll kill you!' one! Pfft--! Please. As if that was possible.

So Kagami faced forward and blasted up his headphones at full volume to refrain from hearing unnecessary talk.

After walking for twenty minutes and bumping on a lot of passers-by (one of them even offered him a freaking wallet while reciting a mantra of apologies), Kagami finally managed to reach the gates of Teiko High School. It was supposedly a well-known school, but Kagami only transferred during the second month of his first year, so he didn't know much about it.

Kagami felt a tiny bit awkward when he finally entered the gates. He was still referred to as "that American returnee" by most of the older students and the general faculty, and adding his looks (too tall, too muscled and too grimace-y) and the reputation he seemed to be garnering for the past months, he wasn't making a stellar impression towards the new students.

Maybe a little part of him _did_ care about what other people might think of him (just a bit, a speck even). Friends were hard to obtain, even harder with his situation, but he also wanted to have more of those. His so-called scary aura even made things worse at times-- how many delinquents had approached him, seeking challenges and fights? So far, he managed to intimidate most with his menacing stare and tall physique (the rest weren't lucky). He wasn't that keen on getting into fights nowadays; when he was younger, sure, but he realized he prized his hands more than a few scrapes and bruises from crazy strangers.

The courtyard was filled with bustling activity when he arrived. Students were pointing on their names posted on the propped-up announcement board, getting hyped up when they find themselves in the same class with their friends. There was this pleasant shimmer in the air, a novelty of first days of spring and classes. Pausing his music and slipping his headphones down his neck, Kagami neared and searched for his name and class. He hadn't noticed the air change when he stepped forward. He didn't hear the students suddenly quiet down when he approached. His split-brows furrowed when he couldn't seem to find his name on the board. Too focused on his task, he hadn't registered the presence appearing behind him.

Then came a tap on the back, followed by a soft "Kagami-kun."

"Gaah!" The redhead turned around in surprise and glared angrily at sky-blue eyes of Kuroko Tetsuya. "Geez, Kuroko! Don't just appear suddenly like that!"

"Good morning to you too, Kagami-kun. You seemed to have a hard time looking for your name, so I came by to tell you we're in the same class again. We're in class 2-B." Kuroko replied with a voice both soft and monotone as usual.

"O-oh. Uh... thanks." Feeling ashamed (Kuroko had this way of making him feel guilty every time), Kagami averted his gaze away from Kuroko's blank ones and slowly smoothened away his glare. "Sorry about that, I was just surprised."

"It's alright, I'm used to it. Shall we go to the opening ceremony then?"

A few whispers surrounded them but Kagami did not seem to hear anything else. Here was Kuroko, one of the few people who were not afraid of him, and part of the rarer group of people he considered as friends. Kuroko had this perpetual blank face and weird misdirection-thingy (which seemed to grant him powers of constant invisibility), but since they were two odd people, their friendship worked. Somewhat.

Maybe today will turn out to be nicer than he thought.

\- - -

An hour and a half later, the opening ceremony was done (with Kagami dozing off halfway during the school principal's speech and Kuroko jabbing him awake every five minutes), and the students proceeded towards their respective classrooms. Kagami and Kuroko were walking in the crowded hallways of the second floor when a sound of "Kurokocchi~! Kagamicchi~!" echoed.

"Oh Kise-kun, good morning." A streak of yellow bounded in front of them and a tall, golden-haired teen happily walked towards the duo. Noticeably, girls swooned at the sight of the smiling blondie.

"We're in the same class! I'm so glad!" Kise tried to glomp the poker-faced boy, who evaded calmly from the attack. The charade continued on for a few moments, with Kise wailing "Kurokocchi!" every time.

Kagami watched the scene quietly, but looking past the disinterested facade, the redhead was actually... trying to hide his blush?

Yes, the appearance of the shining sun called Kise Ryouta had just made the menacing Kagami Taiga a giant, gooey mess inside.

He could not help it! Kagami did admire Kise, who was bright, cheerful, charming, and literally sparkly. Kise was everything Kagami was not. Kise's personality, though very annoying to some, was also quite refreshing, something different from Kuroko's stoicness and his very own intensity. When Kagami first laid eyes on the silly, childlike teenager during his arrival in Japan, he was honestly irritated. Kise, who belonged in the class next door, had hounded him with questions and gushes of awe, something that happened all the time when he was back in America. He soon learned that Kise was a part-time yet famous model, something that made sense with his good looks and all. Kise also had a lot of friends and can get along with all kinds of people, even though he annoyed them with his intruding personality. Naturally, Kagami could not keep his eyes away from Kise Ryouta.

Kise was always entering his personal space. It pissed him off at first. No matter how many times he scowled at the blonde sternly or told Kise to 'go screw himself', Kise would only whine (that's so mean, Kagamicchi!) and continue talking to him. Eventually Kagami relented and managed to hold some proper conversations with him. He was like a dog in that aspect (always following behind, tailing, wanting to be noticed) and Kagami, for the life of him, could never stand dogs. But when Kise showered him with those blinding smiles one too many times, Kagami had no way to stop the squirming in his stomach and the warmth from spreading from his cheeks towards his chest, making his heart pound louder, as if he was playing basketball for hours. Maybe it was because Kise was finally growing on him. He wasn't finding Kise's company too annoying anymore. In fact, he found himself looking forward to it.

It even came to the point that Kagami had spent his time thinking about Kise (why, why, _why?_ ) rather than sleeping, which in itself is a big deal. When he caught himself losing track of the number of times he had forgone sleep, he knew he had fallen in deep.

But what made Kagami finally acknowledge his feelings towards the pretty boy was when Kise introduced him to Kuroko, who would then continue on to be Kagami's best friend. It was one of the things that made him really grateful towards the blonde, though he wouldn't say it out loud. How can someone be so radiant, so beautiful... so, so... _argh_. Kagami had no words, in both English and Japanese, to describe how he came to fall in love with Kise Ryouta.

"--micchi, Kagamicchi!"

"Huh?" The redhead's posture went tense when Kise casually entered his personal space for the umpteenth time. There was it again, that beautiful smile that seemed to make everything around them disappear. It was almost routine now: the surroundings would dissolve into a blur except for them, then that strange feeling of dancing butterflies in his stomach would force him to hold his breath. His heart would seem to constrict and hammer in his chest at the same time, as Kise filled his vision, and he would greedily be taking in every little detail of Kise's appearance, his voice, even his _scent_.

"Let's all have a good time this year!" Kise's pretty voice (everything about Kise is pretty in Kagami's eyes) registered in his ears, the rush of blood in his cheeks getting harder to control. In an attempt to not embarass himself in front of his beloved person, Kagami gulped and snapped his head away from Kise's puppy-dog gaze.

"Y-yeah, same here." Mou! What was this person doing to him?!

"Alright! Let's go to class now! Aww, I wanna sit next to Kurokocchi...."

Walking about seven steps ahead of the two, Kagami didn't hear the rest of his friends' conversation as he was currently preoccupied with composing himself. He was subconsciously smiling at himself (to outsiders, the smile looked more like it belonged to a slasher's), mentally patting himself at the back for managing to control his impulses. Kagami was a hothead who relied on his instincts, but experience taught him to stake it out a bit before baring his claws. Especially since emotions are involved; he does not want to experience _that_ all over again.

Deep was Kagami in his thoughts that he hadn't seen in his peripheral vision a person approaching, who was busy chugging on a can of soda while walking in the middle of a crowded hallway. It was too late when Kagami realized that he sharply connected shoulders with someone. Too late for the other person to stop his canned beverage from jostling in his hand. Too late to halt the fizzy drink from spilling onto the other's face.

Only a single word erupted from this encounter.

"SHIT!"


	2. Two: Enter the Panther

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here's the second chapter (which might be kinda boring)!! This is actually me writing faster than usual, because it literally takes forever and a day for me to update. This one's too late for Christmas but too early for New Year, and I thought, what the heck, and decided to post this! Happy holiday, everyone, and thanks for all the comments and kudos and all that jazz, it really made me drunk with happiness!

\- - -

II.

_Enter the Panther_

\- - -

The thing about crowds is that they are so easily impressionable.

Now imagine this: a redhead who rumourdly has eyes that instantly kill upon contact, crashes upon another person, making him almost choke on his cola and have it spill on his face. What would people probably think?

_Ah, the tiger strikes again._

And so their eyes shift to the supposed victim of the assault. But then they take in the person's appearance-- tall, chocolate-skinned, hair of midnight blue-- Quickly they recognize this one. Immediately they think: _oh hell._

Then the crowd goes wild.

\- - -

"A fight?! Is it a fight?!"

"A match between delinquents? Who're they?!"

"Woah, it's the Blue Panther! That guy's notorious!"

"I heard the redhead over there killed someone before..."

"Someone call a teacher!"

"Who do you think will win?!"

The buzz of excited, terrified, and plain curious onlookers was lost on Kagami as he barely registered what was happening around him. All his thoughts were circling around _'shit I hit someone'_ , and _'fuck what do I do?!'_. He almost resorted to pulling his hair, but lucky for him, his body went into autopilot and he suddenly found himself letting out a stream of words.

"Shit, shit! I'm sorry! Are you okay?!" Kagami hesitantly fumbled as he watched the person he accidentally shoved into his drink furiously hacking and snorting and wiping at his face with a sleeve. Kagami tried to give a hand, but the wild, feral glint in the other's eyes made him stop his attempt. The redhead stood awkwardly, right hand fidgeting at his side.

The other male finally mopped up the rest of the sticky beverage out of his face, but his uniform was perfectly ruined. Kagami noticed the air shift into something dangerous (even the crowd fell silent at the terse atmosphere) and he stood in place as his eyes were fiercely held place with the other's piercing glare.

"You fucker." a deep voice cut through the hushed silence.

Kagami visibly winced, but he kept it in stride. "I'm sorry, man. It was an accident."

"An accident?" The so-called Blue Panther (according to one of the students) scoffed and sent a sneer Kagami's way. "Are you a fucking idiot? That's shit. What are you gonna do about this?" He gestured at his cola-stained uniform.

"Look," Kagami wasn't a patient person, and Navy-guy here was effortlessly getting on his nerves. "I already apologized. And it was an accident. Can we just leave it, please? I'll pay for your dry-cleaning or whatever, so--"

He didn't get to finish what he was saying because something solid suddenly forced through his abdomen and a gasp of breath was forcefully pushed out of his lips. His eyes widened when he realized that the blue-haired jerk just simply strolled over and _punched_ him on the stomach. Hard. He almost keeled over from the pain, but he managed to hold his legs steady.

"You listen here, dumbass." Blue Panther loudly and almost boredly spoke beside his ear, "If you want to apologize, you have to beg me on your knees, you hear me?"

Something snapped inside Kagami that made every ounce of self-restraint he had disappear. His vision darkened and before his brain could react, his tightly-clenched right hand was already mere millimeters away from the tanned bastard's face. And when he felt his fist throb from the impact, he swore it was the best fucking feeling ever.

Of course, it simply didn't end there.

\- - -

It took five students, two teachers, and ten minutes to finally separate Kagami and the Blue Panther from tearing out each others throats. The two were sent to the teacher's office where they were sternly lectured by their class adviser. Both were given a week's worth of detention, which they begrudgingly accepted, but pandemonium almost happened again when they were asked to apologize to each other; their punishment was then wonderfully extended another week. Throughout the walk towards their classroom, they exchanged silent death threats with their glares, which further intensified when they discovered that they were classmates for the whole year, much to their disgust.

By the time they reached room 2-B, first period was completely over. Kagami sighed. He takes it back; the day's even worse than he thought.

\- - -

Lunch break seemed to arrive pretty quickly for some, but for Kagami, it couldn't have gotten fast enough. He stretched his limbs as the bell rang, wincing when he felt his arms smarting from the bruises that may or may not be there.

"Are you alright, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko's large cyan eyes boring at him was more disconcerting than nice, but Kagami knew that his friend was worried. The cyan-haired boy sat on the chair in front of his, a lunch box placed on top of the desk.

Kagami breathed and replied, "I'm fine. That bastard's face is just pissing me off."

"You shouldn't have made a ruckus on the first day of classes."

The taller boy grimaced. "Well he started it! What, should I have just let him punch me in the gut and get away with it?"

Kuroko just gave him a look that definitely says he could've gone about the incident better, but his face showed no signs of expressing further than his usual. Kagami just rolled his eyes.

As he took out a _bento_ box significantly larger than Kuroko's, his dark crimson eyes drifted to the other side of the room, opposite his seat. Navy-guy was yawning on his desk, hand resting under his chin, a small white plaster on his cheek. Then there was Kise sitting a feet away from him, cheerily talking though his posture was clear with worry. Kagami's eyes narrowed at the sight, _'Who is that guy, anyway? Acting all close with Kise...'_

"That's Aomine-kun, Kagami-kun. Aomine Daiki. I bet you didn't even know his name when you punched him in the face." Kuroko answered as if reading Kagami's mind.

"Hey, he deserved that! And how do you know him, anyway?"

Kuroko took a glance at the aforementioned teen before continuing, "Aomine-kun, Kise-kun, and I all met in middle school, where our basketball clubs were rivals. Aomine-kun and I bumped on each other in an outdoor court, where he took pity on my basketball skills and offered to teach me to shoot."

"Hmph, so the bastard plays. Any idea why he's so stuck-up?"

"I don't know the details, but his rise to delinquency happened around the middle of his second year. His agility and almost formless technique both in basketball and fighting made him infamously known as the Blue Panther. He quit playing basketball, though."

Kuroko's droning, monotonous voice made Kagami stifle a yawn three times. He stared at the _bento_ box in front of him and shrugged as he opened it. "I really don't like that guy, but whatever. As long as he doesn't pull of that shit again, I swear, I'm gonna destroy him. Let's eat." He clapped his hands and immediately set to demolish his lunch.

"Just be careful next time, Kagami-kun." Kuroko said with finality as he clapped his hands as well.

\- - -

Detention was a tedious affair-- Kagami and Aomine were to volunteer as helpers of the library committee for two weeks. However Aomine did not show up, much to Kagami's annoyance and cause for celebration (as he didn't have to share the same space with that bastard). Kagami had to work with a really snarky _senpai_ who also possessed what he called "the Kuroko effect" (seriously, what was with invisible people and books?). The job took more time than he previously thought, so Kagami had to rush by the classroom to grab his bag so he can finally eat dinner in the nearest Maji Burger.

He slid the door open, rattling it in his haste. The room was empty, red-orange hues the only source of light. The redhead entered and, as he made his way towards his desk, realized that the room wasn't really empty as he thought.

For there was Aomine, head tucked in his arms folded on top of his table. Kagami nearly screamed but the urge to be furious rather than surprised managed to win. Kagami had to mete out his detention, but this guy slept the entire time?! Damn, it was infuriating! He _sooo_ wanted to hit him, but the idea of another detention was weighing heavily in his mind, so he settled for loudly tsk-ing his tongue instead. Aomine's head twitched, but did not wake up.

Kagami grabbed his bag and slung it on his shoulder, but the small noises he made must've done the trick. Because when he was about to take a step for the door, loud clattering of wood on the floor--

"O-oi! What the hell are you doing?!"

\--and a voice both familiar and rage-inducing stopped him in his tracks.

Kagami turned towards the voice and saw Aomine already standing, hands fisted at his sides. Kagami stared intently at navy blue eyes and spoke, in a venomous tone, "What, aren't you supposed to be sleeping?! And isn't it obvious? I'm here for my bag."

Aomine seemed confused and was fidgeting slightly in his place, something Kagami thought was strange for someone like the notorious delinquent. "Your bag?! Isn't it T-Tetsu's..?"

 _Tetsu?_ The name was vaguely familiar, but before Kagami can ponder upon it further, Aomine startled him as screeched forward and lunged towards Kagami, hands immediately latched onto his bag.

"G-give it to me! I need that bag!" Blue Panther exclaimed as he pulled said object.

"The fuck are you doing?!" Kagami pulled as well. "Let go!"

"Give it! Come on!"

"No way! Let go, asshat!"

The tirade went on for minutes, the air filled with loud, different variations of "let go" and "give it to me", sometimes with a curse or two.

"Aho, fucking let go!"

"Shut up and give it, baka!"

Eventually, they had to stop and take a breath. Kagami took in the sight of this person named Aomine, who was in the same shape as he. Kagami gasped as he asked, "What the hell... do you need... my bag for...?"

"Hah...? Why should I... tell someone... like you?" Aomine replied shakily.

"Because it's my bag! Are you insane or what?"

"Hey--"

_"Aominecchi~! Where are you?"_

Thunder seemed to have struck them both as Kise's cheerful voice boomed throughout the empty hallways.

 _"Aren't we supposed to go home together? Aominecchi!"_ The voice continued to call out.

"Tch, Kise!" Aomine went back to reality and immediately rushed towards the door, taking a peek at the small opening. He sighed in relief, then slid it open enough to pass through. He quietly slipped between the opening, but he stopped, turned his head at Kagami's direction and locked gazes with him, eyes with filled determination in them, making Kagami jolt slightly in place.

"We're not done yet." He drawled out, and made a run for the stairs on the other end of the corridors, footsteps light until Kagami could hear no more.

A beat passed before another set of thudding was heard from the other side of the room, where the other door was abruptly opened and an out-of-breath Kise entered.

"Aomi--oh! Kagamicchi! Have you seen Aominecchi, err... Aomine Daiki around?"

Still stunned from the earlier events, Kagami only managed to point a finger at the general direction where Aomine went. Kise seemed to have understood as he gave a bright smile and shouted "Thanks!" before running off to the indicated place.

The sun has predominantly sunk in the background, and purple was already taking over the orange-red sky, further darkening the already-dim room. Silence filled the air, but Kagami's head was anything but that. It was bizarre, just truly, definitely _weird_.

_What just happened?!_

It was one heck of a strange day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time :D


	3. Three: Epiphanies and Discoveries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh... hi!
> 
> Soooo... yeah it has been too long, I am (still) alive, and yes, this is an update. Not a note telling you that I'm abandoning this piece. Real life has taken ahold of my life and writer's block has been a really great friend to me cuz it's not leaving me alone (TuT) Hence the lateness of my update. Please forgive me OTL. I won't make promises as to when the next one will be up, but I'm trying really hard bc I love this fic. I'll carve out my guts if that's what it takes for me to get rid of my block.
> 
> Without further ado, here's the (hopefully not short) chapter!!! (and do people still read/write KnB or AoKaga fics? I hope they still are out there ;-; )

_ _ _

III.

_Epiphanies and Discoveries_

_ _ _

His phone's clock read 18:03 when he reached the last corner of the street. Kagami took large steps in his haste to get home. The sky was already dark and the surroundings seemed spooky from large shadows cast by the recently-lighted streetlamps. He exhaled loudly when the roof of his house appeared in view.

His feet slowed down until it finally went to a stop in front of the small apartment. Although its once-attractive cream walls were scrubbed clean, the dull metal staircase and terrace grills weren't rusting, and the windows were thoroughly wiped and decorated with thin, light orange curtains, it still looked deserted and very much ominous.

He shifted his gaze a little bit towards the left-- ah, there it was. That freaking twelve-story building proudly standing right beside his home. It blocked out most of the sunlight during the day and cast the largest shadow right in the general vicinity of his apartment. The tall, posh, and shiny building was a sharp contrast to his small, dull, bleak-looking home. It was like his house was always in a state of perpetual twilight. He eyed the building with much distaste before moving onto his destination.

The teen shivered at the cool spring air as he stepped on the metal staircase leading to the front door. He took out his keys from his pocket and slid it in the keyhole, turning it with a twist of his wrist. One clicking sound later and the knob was turned and the door opened.

"I'm back!" Kagami called out in the darkness as removed his shoes by the entrance. He could hear some shuffling and a door sliding open.

"Taiga is that you?" a sleepy voice called out, then yawned. "Welcome back."

Kagami trudged in the middle of the small living room and turned on the lights. It flickered twice until it fully illuminated the expanse of the whole area. A door on one far end of the wall was partly slid open, revealing a barely-dressed, buxom blonde lady who was rubbing her eyes at the sudden intrusion of light.

"...glasses. Where are my glasses...?" The redhead let out a chuckle as he went and picked up the red-rimmed glasses on the floor, which seemed to be haphazardly flung away once it was removed.

"You need to take better care of your things, Alex. What if I stepped on it?" He said as he offered the item to Alex's outstretched hand.

"Mhm, I can always buy new ones. Is dinner ready yet?"

Kagami rolled his eyes at Alex's sleepy antics and proceeded to his room, where he set his bag aside and changed out of his uniform. His room was small, yet sparsely furnished-- a large futon was tucked in a corner, a low coffee table in the middle, and his closet stood a feet away from the single window of the room. No light entered it, for his room happened to be directly beside the _fuckinghugeandannoying_ apartment building next door. What luck.

Oh right, dinner. Shoving his thoughts aside, Kagami finally exited the room.

\- - -

Kagami and Alex made light chatter over a pot of mildly spiced beef curry, as per Alex's request, for dinner (his second one, but Maji burger didn't count). She playfully prodded Kagami of the bruise on his cheek, and he ended up talking about his encounter with the Panther. Alex laughed heartily at the annoyed face Kagami made, but she did give him some similarly-sounding words Kuroko told Kagami earlier ( _Be careful, Taiga! Keep your cool!_ ). All in all, dinner was another pleasant affair.

Having finished clearing up the table and cleaning up the kitchen, Kagami settled in his small room two steps away from the kitchen, and decided to prepare his school materials for the next day. He set his bag on top of the low coffee table that served as his desk. Kagami plopped down the tatami floor and pulled out his cellphone in one of the bag's pockets. Sure enough, a message from Kuroko was flashing across his screen.

= = = 20:03, 04/17/16 = = =

_From: Kuroko Tetsuya_

_Subject: Kagami-kun,_

_Since I know you wouldn't have paid attention in class due to the events that happened today, I'd like to inform you that we have an assignment in Japanese Lit. due tomorrow. Although it might be difficult for you, at least try to do it. I will not let you copy off mine this time._

= = = # # # = = =

The redhead scoffed and sent a reply ( _Yeah sure, thanks, and did you just insult me?!_ ) before rummaging around his bag for the correct notes. Something slid out of the bag in his manhandling and plopped to the floor with an audible thud.

"What the...?"

He picked up the fallen object and held it in his hands. It was a solid, square-ish thing wrapped in brown paper. It seemed and felt like a book, and when he carefully removed the covering, the contents of it turned out to be just that.

The book was a paperback no bigger than your standard notebook, albeit it was thicker by about a centimeter. Kagami can't read the title properly as its cover was partly blocked by a small envelope taped in front. The envelope was a sky blue color (where had he seen that before) and had a simple script handwritten on its face.

_To Tetsu,_ it simply read.

This Tetsu-guy again? Aomine had said the name when he saw (and argued with) him in the empty classroom. Who was this Tetsu? And what was this thing doing in his bag?

The gears in Kagami's mind whirred as he tried searching for answers to his ever-increasing questions. _Maybe Aomine wanted to secretly gift the book to this Tetsu-guy, but accidentally put it in the wrong bag instead. Ah, so that's why he kept on insisting to take my bag. Might be the reason why he was stalk-- err... waiting for the Tetsu-guy to appear, he was definitely fake-sleeping earlier. Also explains the weird behavior. Why could he have made such a mistake, though? My seat was far out in the back, so the only other person near my seat would only be Kuroko..._

Wait.

He quickly rummaged his bag and took his phone, all the while opening his messages. He didn't took notice of it before, because he only ever called Kuroko by his surname and Kise keeps on adding that _-cchi_ thing of his, but...

A few seconds passed and _a-ha!_ He stared at the contact details of the latest message he received. There it was.

Kuroko. Kuroko Tetsuya. Tetsuya.

_Tetsu._

Then something in his head _clicked_.

"Kuroko is the Tetsu-guy?!" Kagami couldn't help but exclaim, feeling a bit elated to have solved the mystery that is Tetsu-guy and the book (and Aomine's adamant 'give that bag to me'-s).

Everything kind of made sense now! Kuroko had told him that he and Aomine _did_ know each other. And Kuroko does like books, so it wouldn't be a surprise that someone would give him just that. Why would Aomine need to ninja his way just to give Kuroko a gift? Were they close? They did meet in middle school. And as far as Kagami knows, it was no way near January*, so unless he had some sort of special feelings for Kuroko, there wouldn't be any other reason for Aomine to--

_"Taiga!"_

He nearly dropped the book again. Seriously, why the hell were people surprising him so much today? Kagami stuffed the book back in his bag and went out of his room.

Alex was crouching a feet away from the doorway, hurriedly tying her shoes. She was already dressed for the night, her green coat donned messily. Kagami's eyebrows shot up in question.

"Aren't you supposed to be off work tonight?"

"Yeah," Alex stood up quickly after finishing her shoe-lacing. "But my co-worker had an emergency and couldn't make it, so they called me in."

"Keys?"

"Already in my bag."

"Did you pack an umbrella?"

"Yeah I did."

"How 'bout your phone?"

"Fully charged and ready to go."

"Alright, so make sure you--"

"--don't get ass-drunk at work, yes yes Mother, I already know, don't need to remind me." Alex playfully interrupted as she stood up and dusted her coat.

"Shut up! I'm just making sure," Kagami rubbed the back of his head as Alex let out a chuckle. "Take care of yourself, yeah?"

Alex stood up and turned to face him, lips turned upward with a smile, "I will. See you tomorrow kid." Then she opened the door and made her way into the night.

Kagami let out a small smile as the door closed behind him.

\- - -

Sometime in the middle of writing an essay for his Japanese Lit. assignment, Kagami's head lolled and rested on top of his study table, eyes promptly closed in exhaustion (or simply of boredom, because come on, writing an essay? On literature? _Boring._ ) His face scrunched up horribly as his bruised cheek was pressed on the table, but he remained steadfast in his sleep. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary in the house; the lights were on, the kitchen was thrumming with the sound of the busy refrigerator, and Kagami's room had a sleeping Kagami in it.

But as peaceful as the place was, the silence was shattered by a small _click_.

"....Huh, it's open." A low voice whispered, sounding surprised, "Didn't think it would be that easy."

A tanned hand tucked itself into the owner's jacket pocket and deposited the homemade lock-pick inside. The person lightly took off his shoes and stepped into the threshold. He steeled his resolve and swallowed. _This is it,_ he tried to tell himself, _just grab the stuff, maybe knock the guy out, and go._

Yes, it wouldn't be too hard. After all, his dignity's future depends on this.

Aomine Daiki closes the door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! Until then, have a nice day :D


	4. Four: Pomp and Circumstance ~red side~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray I'm back!!! (/^u^)/ At least this one didn't take about two years to update lol. Ehem. In any case, I'm actually _still_ not done with this chapter. But it was getting too damn long and at that rate, I might not be able to post anything in a while. SO I DECIDED TO SPLIT IT INTO TWO ISN'T THAT GREAT?!?!?!? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA /shrieks into oblivion
> 
> Still.... I'm still not sure if I did good on this one? I feel like everything is soooo OOC please tell me if anything's OOC (T^T) I hope you'll enjoy this chapter huehuehue (ALSO THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR THE COMMENTS/KUDOS/HITS IM SO WEAK MY HEART /SWOONS)
> 
> The chapter title is the English title of the Vocaloid song [Ifuudoudou](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qWBqtFQf90) idk i was looping it in my head when i was typing the chapter but when i read the meaning of the words in the title i thought it fit the chapter :)

_ _ _

IV

_Pomp and Circumstance_

_~red side~_

_ _ _

 

_"--dammit--!!"_

Red eyes flew wide open at the same time something went _bang!_ Kagami warily rose, rubbing his sore cheek, eyes blinking away the last dregs of sleepiness. It was dark out, and cold-- he left his window open again. Homework was still strewn atop his table, judging by the fuzzy outlines of Kagami's vision. His eyes easily adjusted to the lack of light, helping him discern vague shapes in the darkness. He knew he heard something, quite like a large thing falling down the floor. Quickly picking up his phone, he took a glance at the time; 01:47, it read. Alex wouldn't be back to thrash the place 'til 4 a.m. unless...

...there was someone else in the house other than himself.

Either a burglar had gotten in, or -gulp- even worse, _ghosts!_ Kagami shuddered at the thought. He honestly hoped it was a burglar. Those he can (probably) handle. Ghosts? Hahaha, nope, no thanks. He'd (definitely) wet his pants first.

Another sound, this time a disturbing rattle, shot through the darkened place and Kagami had to hold back a gasp. He warily stood up from his position on the floor. Deciding that yes, the kitchen is probably the best place to look first, Kagami slid his doors open and close with practiced ease, lest he alert his uninvited guest. He carried his phone with him, using it as flashlight. It's light wasn't really that bright though, but it was better that or nothing at all.

Four-and-a-half steps later, Kagami was in the kitchen. He grabbed the first item he laid his hands on (which turned out to be a broom). Kagami remained standing in place, ears perked to detect any sort of movement in the kitchen. A minute passed and nothing happened. Deeming it safe, Kagami proceeded to the nearest room aside from his own: the living room.

_ _ _

 

When the redheaded teen stepped foot on the tatami mat of the living room, something in the atmosphere seemed to have shifted. It sent his hairs standing on one end. Kagami's eyes widened. Unconsciously he gripped the broom closer to himself. _Pull yourself together, Taiga, he tried psyching himself, if Alex could see you now, she'd call you a wuss. Again. Calm down, calm down, calm do--_

_Krrrrssh!_

The same disturbing rattle sound returned, louder this time and Kagami made a jump-slash-turn towards the direction where it came from. He used his phone to cast a weak light around the area, but there was nothing remotely suspicious anywhere, just empty space, an open door, an arm, and-- _holyshitwhatthefuckisthaaaaaaaaAAAAAHHH--!!_

Something just fucking moved and Alex's room is open and shit its coming nearer and he fucking dropped his phone and shit shit shit _shitshiiiiiiiit_ Kagami grabbed his broom with both hands and just started hitting everything around him.

A smart thwack resounded, then another, and another one, followed by a barrage of "Ah! Ouch--!! OW OW FUCK SHIT THAT HURTS STOP IT STOP IT FUCKING CALM DOWN I'M SORRY IT HURTS STOP STOP!!!!"

When Kagami finally registered in his head that yes, somebody was in his house and yes, it was trying to talk to him and yes, it wasn't a ghost at all, did he realize that he was kind of familiar with the voice. He warily ceased his attacks, let go of the broom, slowly backed away towards the middle of the room, and switched on the sole main light.

White flooded his vision for a bit, making Kagami hiss and blink his eyes. When he can manage to look without burning his retinas off, he finally faced the intruder.

The first thing he saw was a white plaster stuck on a frowning face. Deep, dark blue hair and eyes. Caramel skin. Halfway lying on the floor of Kagami's living room. Black lacy bra held on his right hand.

Kagami's emotional high of fear and nerves simmered down after he calmed himself. As soon as he recognized who his company was, it choke up into seething irritation.

"Tch." Aomine clicked his tongue and darted away his eyes. Kagami's brow furrowed and twitched even deeper on his forehead. The hell?! He went through a lot of shit for this?! This bastard?!

"You bastard!" Kagami can't take this. He yelled. "What the fuck are you doing here?!"

"As if I wanted to be here, dumbass." The uninvited guest sat upright and scoffed as his eyes wandered around the place. "Use your head a little. Or is there really nothing in that head of yours?"

"You don't get to talk shit about me, asshole! Get out of my house!" Kagami roared but nothing seemed to deter the Panther. In fact, said Panther only yawned in reply, which further irked Kagami to no end.

"Goddammit, I said get out! And gimme that!" he gestured to the black bra, "Why do you even have that?!"

"Ugh, will you keep it down, dumbass. I tripped on that. I got to admit though, you have good taste in lingerie. Is it yours?" Aomine sleekly stood up and dusted himself, lazily flinging the undergarment to Kagami's general direction. Though terribly flustered, Kagami caught the flimsy piece of clothing with one hand. He reminded himself to reprimand Alex later about her dressing (or in this case, undressing) habits. Aomine moves really fast though, because one second he's standing up and the next he's already opening the door to Kagami's room.

 _This was really getting out of hand._ Kagami's barely keeping his cool. He grabbed one of the taller (damn) teen's shoulder and snarled, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

Equally matching his temper, albeit displayed as a slightly cooler, electric one, Aomine replied, "I thought I told you we weren't done yet."

"What're you talking abou... oh." Realization dawned on his head, _of course,_ "You're talking about that little note you left _'Tetsu'_."

Blue eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Where is it?"

Oho, is the Panther mad? Perfect. "Ha. This Tetsu guy's lucky he didn't find your lousy gift. Is that really the best you can do?" Kagami cocked his head and grinned. It was a no-brainer, really. Even if Kagami wasn't really the sharpest tool in the shed, he would still make the connection. It was _that_ obvious.

Said Panther literally growled and grabbed Kagami by the collar of his shirt, the distance between them closing until they stood almost toe to toe. _Oh man, I totally called it!_

"Give. It. Back," he hissed, voice low.

"Why don't you make me?" Okay, so he's just doing this to piss Aomine off. He deserved at least that.

Static crackled in the air as red and blue eyes glared at each other, both of them trying to overwhelm their foe. A few moments passed by, the atmosphere heavy and silent, the tension so thick one can choke in it.

And then there was a grumble.

The tension quickly dissipated as Kagami's eyes immediately went from raging mad to confused.

"Wha--" Kagami started but another grumble was heard, this one louder than the last. The redhead recognized the uncanny sound (he frequently had been the butt of jokes because of it; but not today though! Ha!), and he had to hold back the _pfft_ sound his lips wanted to release.

"Pfft--" Oh shit, too late! His shoulders were shaking from trying to keep it in.

Aomine, for his part, tried to keep indifferent, but when the second grumble came out, he scowled as Kagami couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"S-shut up!" It lacked bite, angry though Aomine was. He was definitely embarrassed. _Look at him squirm!_

"I'm gonna fucking kill you! Don't you dare!"

"B-but that --pfft haha-- that was-- _ahahaha!"_ Damn, somebody make it stop!

"Fuck you! Stop laughing!"

_"I-- I-- I c-can't.. ahahahaha--"_

_ _ _

 

Ten excruciating minutes later, two tall teens were found seated across each other on the center table of the living room. It made a pretty interesting sight.

"So," Kagami breathed, finally acclimatizing from the stomach-crunching laughter he experienced, "it's late, I'm tired, you're hungry--"

"I'm not hungry dammit, that was just your imagination." Aomine huffed, arms crossed in front of him.

"...." Kagami's stare rivaled that of Kuroko's own. Aomine shrugged, but it was kind of pathetic. _Is this guy an idiot?_ Kagami thinks. He cleared his throat and continued.

"Okay. So as I was saying. I'm gonna ask you some questions. In return, I'll give you dinner. And then I'll hand you your damn stuff, and then you can go. Understood?"

"..."

"Understood?"

"Yeah yeah, sure, whatever. I'm gonna go answer your stupid questions so go get that food already."

"Ha-ha-ha very funny, asshole-Mine. Sit tight and give me ten minutes."

"You're cooking? That better not be poisoned Bakagami."

"If you still call me that one more time, I swear it will."

 

_ _ _

 

It didn't take long for Kagami to declare that his fried rice was done. He removed his apron and decided to check up on Aomine. He hopes the bastard doesn't end up trashing the place before Alex does.

When he checked upon the living room though, the Panther was already out of sight. Dread filled Kagami's being and his instincts screamed at him to dash towards his room.

The door was wide open when Kagami got there. He was in full view of Aomine's back fiddling with his cabinet.

"What the fuck are you doing in my room?!" Kagami exclaimed.

Aomine slightly looked concerned before shrugging his arms, "Looking for porn, duh. You don't have a TV, its so boring. Also I already got this back." Aomine raised a hand clutching a brown paper bag.

 _Shit, he's already rummaging the cabinet!_ Kagami hurried into the room. _How the hell was he moving so fast?!_ "Don't open that cabi--" Whoops, too late! And he's got his hands on-- "KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF THAT BOX--"

Aomine looked triumphant in his endeavor, box in his arms like a treasure chest. He opened the box and sorted through the contents, "Aha! Looks like I fou.... what the fuck?!"

"AHHHHH!!! DON'T LOOK!!!"

"Why do you have a bunch of Kise's shitty magazines?! In a fucking box?!"

"Shut up and get out of my room!!"

"Damn, there sure is a lot. Well, aren't you a fan."

"Give me that!"

Kagami quickly snatched the box, slammed the lid, and threw it back in the cabinet within ten seconds flat. He blocked the rest of the cabinet with his large frame. Meanwhile Aomine smirked, a lightbulb seemingly turning _on_ in his head.

"Ohhh, I see--"

_Fuck, he knows! Abort abort abort aborta bortabo rtabortabort--_

**"Get out!"**

"--You--"

**"OUT!!"**

"--like--" "

**SHUT THE FUCK UP!!"**

"--KISE RYOUTA!"

_**"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!"** _

"Pfft-- holy shit? Kagami?! Kise?! Of all people?!"

"Shut up! You don't know anything asshole!"

"But don't you like Kise--"

"Bullshit! As if you're no different from me! And if you wanna impress Kuroko, you should've just invited him for milkshakes, that'd make him happier."

"Wha-- w-who told-- who said anything about Kuroko?!" Aomine fidgeted, the tips of his ears turning red.

"Ha! It was totally obvious, you idiot Ahomine."

"As if it was, dumbass Bakagami. I'm not the one who _obviously_ can't keep his eyes off Kise's ass."

"W-wha-- I don't stare at Kise's ass, fuck you!" this time Kagami seemed to curl in on himself as his cheeks burned.

"Yeah, yeah, you totally weren't staring at Kise's ass earlier this morning. You still owe me from that time too, by the way."

"There was nothing to take note off, and I don't owe you anything Ahomine!"

"Don't call me that, Bakagami!"

"Ahomine!"

"Bakagami!"

A strained atmosphere circled between the two teenagers. A beat passed. And then the two idiots slowly simmered down and sighed.

"Fuck. I can't believe this."

"Shit, you think?"

Another silence settled between them, this time less strained but definitely more awkward. Kagami's face was pink, and despite the rich tan of his skin, Aomine's face was flushed too.

"So..." the redhead began, "...Kuroko, huh?"

"Tch. Why Kise though? He's annoying."

"Yeah, well maybe he is. Damn, why are we even talking about this?! And you're one to talk, you have a crush on Kuroko!"

Aomine sputtered, "S-shut up! Not so loud, what if anyone hears?!" And as if a realization, he delivers a murderous glare at Kagami.

"If I find you blabbing to Tetsu, I'm gonna kill you. Or tell Kise, and then kill you."

Kagami, not wanting to get upped, shot back with vicious intent, "What the hell do you think of me?! And fuck you, if Kise finds out I'll tear you to pieces before you even confess to Kuroko, you got me?!"

Another cycle of glaring and sighing occurred, with Kagami throwing in the towel for both of their sakes. He was getting so tired of this repetitive shit.

"Let's just eat and get this over with."


	5. Five: Pomp and Circumstance ~blue side~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *very awkward entrance* Hi there!! The slowest fic writer is back with an update ;;u;;
> 
> In all seriousness, I hate that it takes me years to finish a single chapter orz please forgive me ;;; I've been writing bits and pieces of this chapter until I finished, polished, and felt satisfied with it. My writing is atrocious, as usual, but I hope it doesn't disappoint OTL
> 
> I am really thankful to all the readers who continue to read this fic, as well as to those who picked this story and took the time to read, leave kudos, and post comments !!!! I really appreciate them all and they feed my tattered soul.
> 
> Special shoutout to [kamauno](https://www.archiveofourown.org/users/kamauno), whose MASSIVE comments I am eternally thankful for //// YOU'RE AMAZING AND I LOVE YOU THANK YOU SO SO MUCH !!!!!
> 
> Without further ado, here's the chapter :)

_ _ _

_Pomp and Circumstance_

_~blue side~_

_ _ _

 

Aomine didn't think that he'd be sitting in a room smack dab in the middle of midnight, scarfing down on ~~surprisingly delicious~~ fried rice prepared for him by the owner of the house; said house, by the way, he had broken into. It was strange... no, it was too light a word. It was _bizarre_. So much seemed to have already passed between them-- and to think this was the second or third time he has met the guy! So yes, bizarre was a pretty good word to describe their current situation.

The silence wasn't as strained and uncomfortable as he'd thought it be, especially after they both found out embarrassing things about each other. Who could have known though? This guy liking Kise? If that wasn't weird enough, Aomine doesn't know what is.

He sneakily kept his eyes on the dude. Aomine hasn't heard much about this (probably) infamous Kagami Taiga but the few things he's heard weren't all that nice. Apparently the guy's already killed someone! So far the only things he's noticed is that all Kagami's made up of is noise and stubbornness. And he also makes good fried rice, not that Aomine would tell him that.

He doesn't know much about this stupidly weird, annoying idiot. Heck, the only reason why he knows the guy's name is cuz of Kise always talking about how _"Kagamicchi's cool! ( *´︶`*)_ or how _"Kagamicchi yelled at me again ( ；A ；)"_ or that _"Kagamicchi should hang out with us, I think that'd be so much fun!!!! ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶"_

(He doesn't want to admit that he also hates the guy because Kuroko's always, _always_ with him. It's infuriating.)

((Aomine's jealous, but he's not admitting anything to anyone, not even to himself.))

Kagami's... tall, maybe about as tall as Kise (but he was still taller though so ha!). His hair is brown...? Red? Half of it was deep, rusty crimson which gradually darkened from brown to black as it reached the ends. The strangest feature about Kagami was the stupidly split-ended eyebrows. Drawn tightly together it makes for intimidating, but when settled peacefully in their places, it looked just plain dumb and hilarious on his face. The eyebrows in question then twitched (which Aomine still found real damn funny), the left one rising a tad, as if asking why he was staring.

Oh wait. Kagami did actually just ask him that very question.

"I wasn't staring," Aomine blatantly said, as if the very thought hadn't crossed his mind, "I was thinking of stuff."

"Oh?" scoffed Kagami, the imbecile, "I didn't know you could do that." He proceeds to eat like he hasn't insulted anyone at all. Aomine isn't pleased.

"Care to say that again?" How is this guy still arguing with him? He's too damn stubborn.

"Don't mind if I do. I didn't know you were actually capable of thinking." And apparently, Kagami can be really sassy when pushed. Must've come from hanging out with Tetsu a lot. _~~He's jealous, damn.~~_

"Well you," Aomine retorts, "look like someone who doesn't really know much either."

Kagami sighed, apparently too tired to deal with this shit. Aomine counts this as a victory in his book. One thing about Kagami, Aomine thinks, is that he's not going down without a fight. How ~~interesting~~ annoying.

"How'd you get in here Aho?" Kagami asked after a period of silence.

"Hm? Picked the lock." Aomine shrugged, taking another bite of the ~~delicious, mouth-watering~~ rice. The food was surprisingly making him docile and cooperative.

Somehow Kagami looked irritated at that, but he didn't say anything else and asked, "How'd you know where I lived?"

It took a while before Aomine can swallow down and speak again, "I followed you. T'was easy, all I had to do was hide from Kise. Saw you come out of Maji and thought, what the hell, I'm following this guy." And there was also the fact that hey, Kagami's route to his home seems familiar. Too familiar, in fact.

Aomine bets Kagami's gonna have a heart attack when he finds out about that little piece of info.

"Dude that's totally stalking." Kagami latched on a huge spoonful, chewed a bit, and swallowed before continuing, "But I'm kind of impressed. You'd probably make a good detective."

"Pft. You should be, I already know I'm amazing. But y'know," Aomine gestures at the half-empty plate before him, "I've tasted worse so I'll give you props."

"I don't know if I should hit you or thank you for that."

"What you should do is apologize to me and give me my stuff back."

"I'm already feeding you so consider yourself paid for the apology. And what the heck, didn't you already take it from my room?!"

Aomine remembers grabbing it from Kagami's table but he doesn't have it in his hands _now_ so there's that. "You mean in your Kise mancave? It's still in there, I think I dropped it? You were kinda screaming all over the place."

Kagami's eyebrows scrunched together. At this rate, he's gonna have a field of wrinkles on his forehead. "Tch. Goddammit. Wait here, I'm gonna go get it. Then leave. And for fuck's sake, don't snoop around!"

"Yeah yeah whatever-- you're done eating already?!"

Kagami rose, carrying his empty plate with him as he went, "Of course I am, that wasn't even a lot."

"I'm only halfway finished and I'm feeling full already, what kind of food monster are you?"

Kagami, with his back turned to Aomine, simply raised the bird as reply. Amused, Aomine found he couldn't stop himself from grinning.

_ _ _

 

After dinner, Aomine decided to lie on his back along the tatami mats in the living area. His legs were straightened and tucked under the low center table. His eyes were closed, but the soft thudding sound of footsteps alerted him of Kagami's nearing presence. Without opening his eyes-- 

"Did you bring it?"

\--he spoke without a hair shifting in place.

Kagami let out a scoff, but remained silent. He seemed apprehensive, shuffling around for a bit. Two breaths later he announced, "Before I give this to you, you'll have to hear me out first."

"...." Aomine narrowly opened an eye, "Hurry up then, I'm sleepy."

A vein popped on Kagami's head, but he continued through gritted teeth "I'm thinking since we're both exactly in the same situation, we should probably help each other out."

A period of silence hung between the two. Both of Aomine's eyes were finally open, an eyebrow quirked upwards. _He said what now?_ The air around them seemed to freeze them in place. A beat later, Aomine spoke.

"Explain."

"Huh?" His reply seemed to snap Kagami out of his musings. Aomine fluidly rose from his position on the floor, his eyes trained at Kagami.

"Oh. Well," the redhead sat on the other side of the table, arms crossed and laid on top, "we could maybe kind of, uh," he scratched his head, "Help each other out. With the person we l-like, I mean."

"Hmm..." Aomine mused, his arms stretched behind him, palms laying flat on the mats, "what's in it for me?"

"...Err, so." Kagami couldn't keep his eyes from evading Aomine's own. A small redness slowly made its way to his cheeks the longer he spoke, "I could, err... help you with Kuroko. We're friends after all so I can maybe, uh, help you out with hanging out with him and set you up together and stuff and ah, hmm... Then you could probably help me out with Kise, cuz you seem close... and then we could just erm, like _conspire_ \-- err, no not that, what's the word, ah, um... _dammit! This isn't going as I thought it would..._ " he whispered the last part in English.

Kagami isn't even looking at him now. The tips of his ears are red. He's completely made a fool of himself, and it took almost all of Aomine's willpower not to burst out laughing. He hopes he kept his face blank and neutral as he said, much to his delight---

"No."

Kagami's heart sank, his face losing color as soon as the word left his lips. His hands seem to tremble as he tightened them into fists, "Oh... well... ah--"

That reaction tho, nice! Kagami's just easy to make fun of, Aomine can't help the snort that escape him, "Oh man, that was priceless! Haha!"

_"Aw hell no he didn't just--!"_ Kagami screamed, "Fuck you! And here I was being completely sincere!"

"Ahahahaha _\--pfft--_ y-your face! You looked like a kicked dog just now--"

"Shut up! Is it a yes or no?!"

Aomine's face was filled with mirth, but his laughter did finally cease, "Yeah yeah, as much of a dumbass you are (hey!), I guess I can buy that? It's not like I have a choice left either. And it sounds like a good idea, though I don't know how you've thought of that one. Huh."

"Hah! That's why you shouldn't underestimate me, asshole. Here you go," he hands Aomine the paper bag (it's already creased from so much manhandling; at least that gives him an excuse not to hand it to Tetsu firsthand) and a piece of paper.

"Here's my number. Call me tomorrow or whenever. And I dunno, it's late, d'you wanna stay the night?"

"Oh my, Kagami," Aomine gently cooed as he waved his index finger, a coy smile on his face, "I didn't know you could be so forward."

"W-what the-- shut up, I was just being courteous you asshole! Fine, see if I care! Just get out of my house." Ahaha, making a fool out of Kagami is slowly gonna be one of his hobbies. His reactions are way too over the top.

"Yeah, I'll be going now." Kagami led him to the front door, where his shoes were haphazardly placed. As Aomine tied his laces, he noticed a pair of women's boots nearby, along with a pair of heels and a few Jordans. Come to think of it, he did find a bra during his exploration in the darkness of Kagami's house. It doesn't seem to belong to someone who's old enough to be a mom. (Aomine knows the art of lingerie, duh). Does Kagami live with a woman in his house? He should probably ask some time.

The cool air greeted him as he opened the door and Aomine was reminded that he was still wearing his school uniform. Oh, right. Kagami made him spill his soda and he could feel the stickiness on his skin. He's gonna have to take a shower tonight. It was a long, tiring day. Exhaustion crept up to him as he made his way home.

He heard Kagami mutter a small _good night_ as the door closed behind him.

_ _ _

 

Kagami's cellphone rang a couple of times before Alex, clearly mad at being disturbed from her slumber, had enough and dropped it on his face before falling back to sleep. Kagami woke up with a start, fumbling with his phone before he answered with a stifled yawn and hello.

_"Hey doofus get up."_

The voice on the other side almost made him drop the phone. Oh, right. He did give his number to Aomine, the bastard.

"Whaddya want? It's too early in the morning." Kagami yawned again. He didn't get much sleep from last night.

_"Whatever, I don't care about that. Just get up and open the window._

"Wha--? Why?"

_"Just do it. I'll count to five so hurry up."_

"I'll go there in my own pace."

_"Five,"_

"Jesus Christ, Aomine."

_"Four."_

"Alright, alright, jeez, I'm getting up now."

_"Three."_

Kagami tucked his phone between his ear and his shoulder as he drew open the curtains.

_"Two."_

"Alright I'm at the window now. Stop counting."

_"One."_

"Shit-- alright I'm opening it! Now what--"

His jaw dropped like it was unhinged. No way. No _fucking_ way.

On the other side of the window was another opened window, this time from the large, cursed building near his apartment. A meter or so across him was a teenager with a purpling bruise on his cheek. Deep, dark blue hair and eyes. Caramel skin. His smile was smug as he held the phone to his ear. He opened his mouth to speak. The voice came out right beside Kagami's ear.

_"Good morning, dumbass."_

No fucking way, Kagami repeats. No fucking way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Til next time !! Have an amazing day :D

**Author's Note:**

> Updates are going to be sporadic~ but it will definitely be updated (I just don't know when, because life is catching up, help!). Thanks for reading!


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